Can't really see too awfully much from the image, but I would have to say that my first thought is that you have a young infestation of mealy bugs. Does anybody else think that?

I'd mix up a solution of rubbing alcohol and water (one part water to three parts alcohol) and keep a hand mister handy. Alcohol can be misted on most of our house plants without any problem whatsoever and is one of the very best things to use for mealybugs and many other insect pests. Mist the WHOLE plant, not just where you see the little clusters.

Don't rinse it off after application. I'd mist the plant every three for four days.

Be sure to inspect each and every one of your other houseplants for a similar infestation. Mealybugs are one of the most common of all pests on our indoor plants.

thanks for the info more so it looks to be a white powder substance and just spots here and there I thought a first it was some kind of fungus. And was either looking for confirmation either way. I will try the mist. Would it be good on all house plants no matter??

Let me ask you..

Are there any other leaves dying back like that?

To me, now that I have had bouts with Botrytis, that is what that looks like. But then too, it could be a watering problem.

Do you mist your plants on a regular basis?

I hope you find out what it is. I am so blind that I can't see the white you speak of.lol

Hello Rhizo!

Mike

I usually water once very well per week but I do not mist

i think its sunscald

Lolol....so I am seeing things? I guess I was looking so closely at those little white flecks that I made myself see mealies.

I could take your selection of words literally....you used the word 'powder' a couple of times. I'm going to suggest powdery mildew, a common fungal disorder seen on our indoor plants. Syngonium (your plant) is one of the many host species. Mind you, Your pictures just don't seem to scream powdery mildew to me.

No, you can't use the alcohol mist on every plant. It also does not solve disease issues.

Clearly, we need some better images.

I see little white spots too, but camera flash can show weird things sometimes that aren't really there. If there are white spots, do they move? Could be white flies. I would remove that brown leaf just in case that is something like botrytis. Feel free to add more pics if you feel like it. That never hurts.

Saturn, this is the same photograph you used a few months ago for help with the brown spots. Did you remove those leaves? How about some new images of the white whatever it is so we can narrow it down?

it looks more like shiny leaves in the backround

Oh, a fun game, Name the White Stuff. OK, I vote for mealy bug too. Powdery mildew grows in patches, not little tiny spots. I don't think it would be white fly, cause they would fly, and the ones that don't fly are smaller than that. One thing you can do is scrape off some of the white spots, squeeze them.. if they're juicy, they're some kind of bug.

I don't know about using such a strong alcohol solution Rhizo, I guess you have used it with ok results. I would use a small spray bottle with 2 tsp of mild liquid soap, 1 tsp of oil (like olive or canola), 1/2 tsp of alcohol. Use as you describe.

Syngonium are very tough plants - about the only thing they hate is being kept too wet. If I saw those leaf brownings, the first thing I'd check is soil moisture. You say you water once a week...do you ever check the soil moisture before you water? The soil should be only slightly damp to almost dry before you water again. It might be botrytis, or some other infecting agent, but environment that fosters infection almost always starts in over-wet soil. Then again, if the plant is strong and healthy, it has natural defenses against infecting agents.

The 1:3 solution is weak. I've used stronger. Rubbing alcohol is used on skin, remember. It needn't be scary.

Yea, that's true. I never used it in interior plantscaping because a strong smell is like hitting a wasp nest with a big stick, gets the folks all riled up. Are there any plant species that seem more sensitive to the alcohol?

I use rubbing alcohol on any plant with smooth, not hairy leaves. Usually straight from the bottle, on a cotton ball.